Handheld devices are currently very popular and range in the capabilities offered. Handheld devices may be used to perform arithmetic or higher math calculations, wirelessly control electronic devices, allow communications between two or more people through telephone services, keep track of inventory, etc. As handheld devices have matured technologically, the size of the device has been in the process of being reduced, especially, for wireless handheld communication devices. Further, consumer and business interest are also driving the placement of ever large displays on the user viewable side of a wireless handheld communication and other handheld devices. Predictive text implementations may reduce the need for a QWERTY keyboard to a reduced size keyboard and even to the size of a standard keypad 2, as illustrated in FIG. 1, consisting of 10 alphanumeric keys 6 and two special keys 12 and 14, in a three column 10 by four row 8 arrangement (i.e., 3×4 arrangement).
The wireless communications devices 20, 40 represent two known devices having a display 22, 42 disposed above web browser keys 24, 26, 44, 46 that are above standard keypads 30, 50, each keypad having numeric keys 36, 56, an asterisk key 34, 64, and number sign key 32, 52. The wireless communications devices 20, 40 are, respectively dimensioned at 113 mm. by 49 mm. and 100 mm. by 55 mm. Each wireless communications device 20, 40 has a left side 33, 61, a right side 34, 62, a top side 35, 63, and a bottom side 36, 64 as viewed by a user looking at the display and keypad side of the device. As shown in FIG. 2A, the standard keypad 30 shares a user viewable side of a wireless communications device 20 with a display 22 and special keys 32 and 34 that are used to navigate a user interface of display 22. As consumer demand drives the development of more compact handheld device form factors and drives the implementation of larger displays on handheld devices, difficulties arise in placement and sizing of the 3×4 standard keypad. For example, in the more compact device in FIG. 2B, the margin 65 between the keypad 50 and the bottom edge 65 of the handheld device 40 becomes critical for placement of a speaker.
Current trends in the marketplace include horizontal displays. Horizontal displays tend to make the standard keypad format too narrow, or not used efficiently. Keypad formats currently found are illustrated in FIGS. 3A to 3C.
The wireless communications devices 100, 130, 160 represent devices having a display 102, 132, 162 disposed above or to the side of a keypad 110, 140, 164. These keypad formats include increase the number of keys below or to the side of the display to allow a user to implement browser functions as well as to enter telephone numbers. The effect of this is to increase the inconvenience of locating keys when using the handheld device. In FIG. 3A, although the web browser keys are separate from the keypad 110, other non-standard-keypad keys (e.g., telephone send and end keys and MP3) keys have been incorporated into an expanded keypad 110 that may prove inconvenient for a user because of the number of keys and the placement of the asterisk and number sign keys in locations that deviate notably from the familiar standard keypad 2. FIGS. 3B and 3C present wireless communications devices that surround the standard keypad 152, 178 with number 138, 172, asterisk 144, 166, and number sign 142, 168 keys with browser function and non-standard-keypad keys 134, 135, 136, 146, 180. Because of the number of keys in the expanded keypad 140, 164, locating standard keypad keys may prove inconvenient for a user. When a user views the display and keypad of each of the wireless communications devices 100, 130, 160, there is a left side 123, 147, 173, a right side 124, 148, 174, a top side 125, 149, 175, and a bottom side 126, 150, and 176.
A need exists for making the conventional keypad (or, keymat) shorter without comprising usability and to overcome the above noted problems with the prior art.